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R 15,845 May 27 1924 G. w. BOWER e CLAMP ING EA R Original Filed Oct. 19. 1920 Reissued May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BOWER, O'F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CLAMIPING EAR.

Original application filed October 19, 1920. Serial No. 418,092. Divided and application filed May 27, 1921, Serial No. 473,070. Original No. 1,420,408, dated June 20, 1922. Application for reissue filed April 22, 1924. Serial No. 708,320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon W. Bownn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamping Ears, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to clamping cars, such as are used for trolley-line construction and the like, and has for its object to provide an improved structure and arrangement in apparatus of this character.

This application is a division of my application Serial Number 418,092, filed October 19, 1920.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a clamping ear embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the ear, illustrating the manner in which it clamps with a trolley wire and Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the members of the clamping ear. F ig. 5 is a View, partly in plan and partly in section, showing the relative arrangement of parts of the device.

Referring to the drawing 20 indicates a supporting member provided with an annular groove 24, and swivelled in groove 24 is a trolley ear 25 embodying my invention. In the present instance supporting member 20 is shown as being in the form of a nut which may he threaded onto the end of a post or rod, the nut forming in substance an adapter. It is to be understood that nut 20 is to be taken as typical of any supporting member from which it is desired to suspend a trolley car.

Trolley car 25 comprises two clamping members 26 and 27 each formed at its upper edge with an inturned semi-circular flange 28 which fits in groove 24 and a flared-out lower end which presents an edge 29 for engagement with a groove in a trolley wire 30. Clamping member26 is provided with a counter-sunk opening 31 having a smooth edge and clamping member 27 is provided with a countersunk opening '32 which is threaded to receive the threads on a clamping screw 33. Clamping screw 33 has at one end a head 34 located in the countersunk portion of opening 31 and after the screw has been inserted in openings 31 and 32 its other end is upset as indicated at 34 so the screw cannot work out of the opening. This serves to make the trolley car a complete unitary structure which cannot come apart during handling or shipping. Screw 31 is of suiiicient length so that when screwed out of opening 32 as far as it will come, the clamping members 26 and 27 can be spread apart far enough to permit of flanges 28 being readily slipped over the end of supporting member 20 and edges 29 being slipped into the trolley wire grooves.

The head of screw is not provided with a slot for manipulating the screw with an ordinary screw-driver, but instead is provided with a polygonal, axially-extending opening 35 adapted to receive a tool having a similar shaped end for turning it. With this arrangement the screw can be tightened with greater case than with an ordinary screw-driver and there is no danger of the tool slipping out of the slot as in the case of a screw-driver. This is a matter of considerable importance from a practical standpoint as a workman in tightening up a trolley car is often required to stand in an awkward position and usually on an overhead platform which makcs the use of a screwdriver diliicult. Also the clamping members can be drawn up tighter with such a tool than would be possible with an or linary screw-driver. In this connection it will be noted that the trolley car has no direct connection with any insulating means for it so that no matter how tight it is screwed up it cannot afiect the insulation.

The head of screw 33 is cone-shaped as is also the counterbored portion of opening 31 and projecting from the wall of the counterbored portion of the opening are two diametrically opposed projections 36, the outer surfaces of which extend at an angle greater than that of the conical screw head. When the conical head is screwed down against these projections since it has a smaller angle than the projections, it will bind against them. thus making the screw self-locking. At the same time the screw can tilt or rock on the projections 36 so that irrespective of the angle to the vertical which the clamping members take. which angle of course varies with the size of the trolle wire, the screw can stand straight relativ y to the opening in clamping member 27.

As shown in Fig. 3 the edges 29 of the clamping members are bowed outwardly at their centers so that in tightening them on a trolley wire the corners take hold first. This arrangement insures that when the clamping members are tightened up they will engage the wire along their entire length.

It will be noted that the trolley ear is narrow in width and that by reason of the countersunk openings no part of the clamping screw projects beyond the confines ofthe ear. As a result it gives good clearances for the flanges of the trolley wheel and will not interfere with the wheel on curves. l urthermore, on account of the swivel joint between the trolley ear and the supporting member, the car may be turned to any angle relatively to the support so as to make the ear conform to the direction of the trolley wire on curves or under other conditions which may be met with. In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best mbodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 1. The combination with a supporting element having an annular groove, of a trolley ear comprising two clamping members each having a semi-circular flange which is located in said groove and an elongated edge for engagement with a trolley wire, and a screw having a polygonal opening for fastening said clamping members together.

2. A trolley ear comprising two clamping members, each having a semi-circular flange at one end, an elongated edge at the other end, and a eounterbored opening, the open in in one of said members being threaded an a screw which passes through the one opening and threads into the other, said screw having a head located in the counterbored portion of one opening and a polygonal opening to receive a tool for turning it. 3. A trolley ear comprising two clamping members, each having a semi-circular flange at one end, an elongated edge at the other end, and a counterbored opening, the opening in one of said members being threaded, a screw which passes through the one opening and threads into the other, said screw having a conical head, and the eounterbored portion of one of said openings being provided with two diametrically opposed projections against which said head rests and on which it can rock.

1. A trolley ear comprising two clamping members, each having a semi-circular flange at one end, an elongated edge at the other end, and a counterbored opening, the open ing in one of said members being. threaded, and a screw which passes through the one opening and threads into the other, said screw having a conical head, the counterbored portion of one of said openings being provided with two diametrically opposed projections against which said head rests and on which it can rock, the angle of said conical head being less than that of the projections whereby the head locks thereon.

5. A trolley ear haying edges for clamping engagement with a trolley wire, said edges being bowed out at their centers in opposite directions whereby when the same clamp a trolley wire, the ends of the edges engage it first.

6. A trolley car comprising two members having opposed, elongated clamping edges, each of said edges being bowed outwardly at its center.

7. A trolley car comprising two clamping members at least one of which has a counterbored opening, said members bein adapted to clamp a supporting element ant a wire, and a screw having a head located in the counterbored portion of the opening, said head being provided with a polygonal open- 7 ing to receive a tool for turning it.

8. A trolley ear comprising two clamping members at least one of which has a counterbored opening, said members being adapted to clamp a supporting element and a wire, )rojections on the surface of the counterored portion of said opening, and a screw having its head located in the counterbored portion of said opening in engagement with said projections.

9. A trolley ear comprising two clamping members at least one of which has a counterbored opening, said member being adapted to be attached to a supporting element and to clamp a wire, and a screw having a head located in the counter-bored portion of the opening, said head being provided with a polygonal opening to receive a tool for turning it.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of April, 1924.

GEORGE W. BOYVER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Reissue Patent No. 15,845. Granted May 27. 1924, to

GEORGE W. BOWER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line H0, claim 9, for the word "member" read members; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of July, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

